


Small Gifts Keep a Friendship Alive

by Antares



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Christmas Fluff, First Time, Holidays, M/M, Romance, Season/Series 09
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-20
Updated: 2013-12-20
Packaged: 2018-01-05 06:58:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1090957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Antares/pseuds/Antares
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Daniel gives Jack a very special advent-calendar</p>
            </blockquote>





	Small Gifts Keep a Friendship Alive

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Deutsch available: [Kleine Geschenke erhalten die Freundschaft](https://archiveofourown.org/works/5244788) by [Antares](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Antares/pseuds/Antares)
  * A translation of [Kleine Geschenke erhalten die Freundschaft](https://archiveofourown.org/works/5244788) by [Antares](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Antares/pseuds/Antares). 



> Beta: Many, many thanks to KJ for the very quick beta!! Thank you!

December 20th

Jack padded barefoot, like every morning, to his advent calendar consisting of twenty-four small parcels with colourful bows that had been a present from Daniel. Of course it was totally … kitschy, and sentimental without end. But it was Jack’s first December in D.C., after he had accepted the job at Homeworld Security, and the calendar meant at least a bit of Christmas spirit for him, when everything around him was sparkling in exaggerated bright lights, and artificial fir-tree green decorated every available surface. 

Each morning Jack found a little present: his favourite chocolate, a photo from Daniel where he looked silly or sexy (sometimes both), a fortune cookie, a cartoon Daniel thought was funny, a pebble from the beach in Oregon, where the team had spent some days together in August before Jack had moved to D.C. 

Jack looked forward to these tiny moments of happiness which made him feel close to his “old” team and especially to Daniel. Each of the little gifts showed how well Daniel knew him. Yes, if he were in a Harlequin novel, he would say that each mini-gift talked about Daniel’s love for him. And therefore, during the long evenings spent alone in his apartment, when he held the pebble in his hand or nibbled on a cookie in the form of a Stargate, after a recipe from Mitchell’s mom. Jack had asked himself if Daniel saw their relationship in a different light than him? He wondered if Daniel wanted more than mere friendship, and had waited patiently for a first signal. 

He wasn’t able to answer the question with a clear yes or no. There had been rumors in the SGC that Daniel was bi. But it wasn’t a good rumor to spread in a military facility, so he had never tried to find out the truth and had nipped every hint in the bud. With him, Daniel had never crossed that frontier between best friends and more. They had a deep friendship, but without sexual undertones. No harmless flirting as Jack had engaged in a few years ago with Carter before he had realized that it was unfair to her because he wasn’t sincere. 

Jack stood in front of the shelf where the last five parcels were lined up. With pleasant anticipation he took the tiny blue-gold box labelled ‘20’ and tore away the bow impatiently. He opened it – and nothing! It was empty. Hmm. Jack turned it upside down but nothing fell to the floor. Jack shook it, although he knew it was in vain. EMPTY with capital letters. 

Well, there had already been nearly empty parcels before. With only a note telling him, ”Don’t order anything for dinner”, and at half past eight a delivery service had brought him his favourite pizza. The slip of paper on December 6th had advised him, “Wait until you return from work”, and in the evening he had found outside his door a gorgeous poinsettia from the flower shop around the corner. But today, no note, no slip of paper – nothing at all. 

It was dumb to be disappointed only because there was no old comic-book, no seashell, no red apple from his former garden, no postcard with Colorado Springs in the snow. But … Jack missed these gifts that made him think about Daniel and conjure up treasured memories. Of course there was always the possibility that Daniel had made a mistake when filling twenty-four boxes, but that didn’t save him from feeling disappointed. 

Perhaps there were two things in the parcel tomorrow? Should he sneak a quick peak? He could practically hear Daniel calling him a spoilsport and pushed the thought away. Yes, there had to be two gifts tomorrow. With this hope Jack went to the kitchen and started the coffee-maker. 

\--------------------------------------------------------------

Once in the Pentagon, Jack forgot about his advent calendar. He ran hectically from one meeting to the next, hung on the telephone for what felt like hours, talked to visitors, wrote memos and quarrelled with pig-headed dumbasses. He would have nearly missed lunch if Major Davis hadn’t passed by his door and dragged him to the cafeteria. They were lucky to find a seat by the windows and watched the snow-flurry outside. Strong winds were whipping white whirls of snow against the windowpanes where the flakes melted and ran down in little rivulets. 

“D.C. in December sucks,” Jack stated with a sigh. 

“Why?” Major Davis asked with a little frown.

“In the Springs, snow means skiing. Here it means gridlock if there are more than ten inches. It’ll take me an eternity to get home to my apartment tonight.” 

“Why not call it a day a bit earlier than usual? You’ll get home before the gridlock even starts,” Davis proposed. 

“But …” 

Paul Davis winked at him. “Is General written on your tag, or not, sir?” 

“Well …” Jack pondered the idea for a few seconds before his face lit up. “I have to admit, you’ve got brains, Major. You’re gonna go far. Okay, I’m taking comp time disappearing at three o’clock.” 

“A brilliant idea, sir, if I may say so. And if you don’t need me this afternoon, I’ll follow up on your overtime schedule,” he grinned. 

“I have been tricked, haven’t I?” Jack asked good-naturedly. 

“No, sir, of course not.” Davis’ enthusiastic smile belied his words. 

\-------------------------------------------------------

Three hours later Jack was at home. When he stepped out of the elevator on his floor, he suddenly remembered the advent calendar again, and he hoped to find something by his door. Anything that showed him that Daniel hadn’t forgotten him. But unfortunately there was nothing. With a sigh, Jack unlocked his door. He would phone the archaeologist later and perhaps then he would find out why he there hadn’t been a gift for him today. 

Jack stopped on the threshold, the keys still in his hand, because there was definitely “Jingle Bells” drifting from his living room. The general forced himself to breathe steadily and pulled out his weapon. Who was in his living room? The cleaning service only came when he rang them, and the NID or common thieves certainly wouldn’t play music. So, who …? Oh, no, Maybourne! Harry wouldn’t think twice about breaking into his rooms uninvited and make himself at home. That would explain the Christmas-y music. With Harry you had to be prepared for every eventuality and Jack kept his weapon ready, while forcefully opening the door to the living room.

There was a half-decorated Christmas tree in the middle of his living room, and when his eyes got accustomed to the meagre light coming from the three candles on the table, he saw not Harry but Daniel crouched in front of the tree trying to fasten a chain of lights. 

“Daniel?” Jack asked perplex and blinked. 

Daniel flinched visibly. “Jack?” Totally absorbed in his own thoughts he hadn’t heard the door. He jumped up. “Huh, you’re already here?” he asked not very ingeniously. Crap, this should have been a surprise for Jack, and now Jack’s living room looked like the interior of an oriental bazaar. 

“Seems so.” Jack put his weapon away, got rid of his coat and his jacked and kicked off his shoes before advancing on Daniel with a grin.

Daniel met him half-way. He smiled. “I had asked Paul to send you home in time, but I didn’t know that ‘in time’ meant 5 o’clock for him.” 

“Oh, so that’s why he accompanied me to lunch and persuaded me to make use of my title and leave work earlier than usual.” 

They stood in front of each other and didn’t know where to put their hands. For a formal handshake it was too late, but to do nothing would have looked strange too, so Jack pulled Daniel into a short embrace. 

“This is a nice surprise. So, you are … the content of my twentieth parcel?” Jack teased. 

If Jack only knew how true that was! During the last months Daniel had realized that he had to take the first step. He couldn’t let this ‘thing’ with Jack – although he didn’t yet know what exactly that ‘thing’ was – fizzle out, without trying to explain his feelings to the man. Now with two different working places more than a thousand miles apart, it wasn’t as bad as it would have been in the SCG if Jack didn’t like his … uhm … proposition. 

He missed Jack terribly. No more evenings spent playing chess, no weekends hiking in the Rocky Mountains, no more barbecues in Jack’s garden, nobody to simply talk to or gossip about the personal in the Mountain. He missed Jack, and each day it got worse instead of better, and Sam’s consoling “It’ll get better with time” wasn’t true.

At the beginning of November, Daniel had suddenly had the idea with the advent calendar. He had filled it with things that were connected to their private lives. For three weeks now he had given Jack little clues and moments to remember. He hoped that it had been enough to make Jack think about the fact that it was time to change something in his life. And if he was lucky, Jack would change the same things that he wanted to change. 

“ So, you are … the content of today’s’ parcel?” Jack still waited for an answer and Daniel replied honestly, “Yes, you could say that.” 

Yes? That was the best gift ever! No problem then that the little box had been empty today. Okay, think, Jack! Was this answer an indication that Daniel was … that he made ….? Jack searched for the right word, discarding his two first ideas “hitting on him” and “indecent proposal”. They were too juvenile and … vulgar. 

Daniel tore him from his unfruitful thoughts. “I’m sorry about the whole mess here.” He looked contrite and made a gesture encompassing the chaos in Jacks living room. “I was sure I’d be done before you got home. But, I hadn’t taken into consideration how efficient Paul can be.” 

“No problem – at least I’ve got a Christmas tree out of this. But tell me, how did you get into my apartment?” Jack was puzzled because he had always thought that his home was securely guarded. 

“Oh, the doorman recognized me from my last visit. And when he saw the Christmas tree he let me in.” Daniel shrugged and lifted his hands in an apology. 

“I’ve always told you, you look very trustworthy. Half the aliens think that.” Jack chuckled, selected a red bauble and hung it in the tree. For the first time he realized that they were really decorating a tree together and the domesticity of the situation made him happy. “How long can you stay?” He hoped that Daniel could stay a few days. 

“You still plan on skiing some days in the Rockies, don’t you? So I’ll return back to the Springs with you on Boxing Day. If you don’t get fed up with me before then.” The last sentence was said with a small laugh, but Jack heard Daniel’s insecurity. 

“Perfect,” Jack assured him and hung another bauble on the tree. Nearly a whole week! In that time he should find out if Daniel had hinted at something special by sending him the advent calendar. 

Twenty minutes later the tree was decorated, and after a bit of tinkering and some curses even the electrical tree-lights were functioning. 

Jack took a step back, crossed his arms and admired their handiwork. “Looks great.” 

Daniel stepped by his side. “Yeah, it does.” 

The warm light of the candles made Daniel’s features look soft and unbelievable young. Jack felt a wave of yearning washing through his body. Only Daniel would think of a gift like this and spare no expense or effort. 

“That was … the best gift until now,” Jack said quickly before he lost his nerve. “As was the whole advent calendar.” 

“I’m glad you liked it.” 

For a moment companionable silence reigned, then Daniel ruined it by confessing with a small voice, “The pebble wasn’t from Oregon.” 

“What? But the note said so!”

Daniel looked contrite. “I didn’t want to travel there again only to pick up a pebble.” 

“You … you … scoundrel!” Laughingly Jack gave him a playful slap to the head. “I believed you and it made me all … mushy and sappy.” 

Daniel didn’t duck quickly enough and got another light punch to his biceps. “Ouch!” But the exclamation was more laughing than complaining. “Sappy?” Daniel asked avidly. 

“Daniel!” Jack warned. “You’re not in a good bargaining position.” 

“I’m not? Well, I’m imagining how General O’Neill, the fearless conqueror of the Goa’uld …” Daniel wasn’t able to finish his sentence because in a surprise move Jack had kicked his legs from under him and he landed on the sofa in an unceremonious heap. 

“Hey, you’re still in good form,” Daniel said with genuine praise in his voice, after he had recovered from the shock. 

With amused fondness, Jack gazed down at his still grinning, non-rueful friend, who looked great in his faded jeans and the grey shirt. And suddenly the thought crossed his mind that perhaps they had always flirted with each other during these last years, only in a different way than he was used to, and therefore he hadn’t noticed. 

Jack sat down on the sofa beside Daniel and poked him in the chest with one finger while asking his questions. “What else was a lie? The apple from my garden? The recipe from Mitchell’s mom?” 

Daniel caught Jack’s finger and stilled it. “Nothing. Only the pebble. I swear.” Pleading blue eyes spoke of his sincerity. Daniel loosened his grip and placed his hand over Jack’s. If Jack wanted to see a “normal”, placating gesture in it, it was fine. If he wanted to interpret more in this tiny move, it was even better. When Jack didn’t react nor say anything, Daniel got bold and caressed Jack’s hand. He searched Jack’s eyes with his look. 

Brown eyes regarded him. They traced the line of his body from where their fingers were joined, over his chest, his neck and upwards. Jack gave Daniel’s face such a scrutinizing look as if he’d just seen him for the first time, and had to do a description for the police afterwards.

Jacks face was unreadable and Daniel thought that Jack had improved his poker-face even more since working for the Pentagon. He felt an uneasy flutter of nerves, and the first self-recriminations started to surface. Perhaps he had totally misread the situation? Slowly he let go of Jack’s hand. 

Jack didn’t allow that though, and held him tight. He couldn’t let Daniel pretend that nothing had happened. He was sure that the archaeologist wouldn’t make the first step a second time and he couldn’t imagine himself doing it, the Air Force had made him push wishes like that far into the background. So he should encourage Daniel, otherwise it would be over too soon. This was a decisive moment that called for something significant. What actually left his mouth was, “You are really the content for today?” Oh, yes, O’Neill, a very clever and elegantly formulated question! He could have given himself a slap on the head for that. 

“Uhm … you would have preferred something else?” Daniel asked hesitantly after pondering the question for a moment. Damn! Usually he was able to read Jack quite well, why not today? Jack’s furrowed brows were a clear contrast to the hand that was lying heavily on his chest and squeezing his fingers firmly. 

Last chance to change direction, Jack thought. If he didn’t say anything now that made the last minutes look like simple teasing between friends, then everything would change and his life would take a whole new direction after fifty years. Was he ready to do that? And then Jack called himself a chicken-shit and a dimwit, because only five months ago he had already decided the answer to that question when he had moved to D.C. At that time he hadn’t thought that fifty was too old to start anew in a job, so why should he be too old to start a new chapter in his private life? 

“No.” Jack shook his head and leaned closer with one hand on the backrest of the sofa. “There’s nothing else I would have preferred.” His eyes were full of warmth and joy. 

Daniel’s breathing accelerated. Yes! It seemed as if Jack had understood all those messages the tiny gifts had given him. He ghosted his fingers over Jack’s cheek, and when Jack didn’t back away but leaned into the caress, Daniel was sure. His hands glided through the short hair of Jack’s neck before he pulled him down and their lips met for the first time. With this simple touch a dam broke in Daniel’s soul and set free all his pent up feelings. Suddenly, years of the fear of rejection, and how he had always suppressed his yearning and carefully kept Jack at bay so that he wouldn’t find out about his feelings came to an end. He parted his lips until he was able to feel Jack’s tongue against his, and licked into Jack’s hot mouth. Happiness bubbled up and made him grin in the kiss. 

All of Jack’s questions were answered at once. Daniel wanted him, the advent calendar meant more than a simple calendar and … Daniel was a real good kisser! Yeah, baby! 

After a while of mind-blowing kissing, he noticed that Daniel was pulling at his arms and jeans. He gave up his crouched, half-sitting position and squeezed himself beside Daniel on the sofa. It was much too small for two grown men but it didn’t matter. The moment their bodies touched from tip to toe Jack groaned. And he groaned again when Daniel’s strong hands pulled him tighter while gliding over his back. It felt different but very good to be touched by the hand of a man, and long forgotten desires travelled through Jack’s limbs. All his doubts if they should add a new facet to their friendship were blown away by this simple touch. It felt absolutely right, and with a contented sigh, he exhaled softly against Daniel’s cheek. 

Daniel pulled up his right knee a bit and placed it on Jack’s thigh. With that move he didn’t only bring Jack even closer to him, but he was able to rub his erection, which got harder and more demanding with every second, against the strong muscles in Jack’s thigh. There were still some layers of clothing between them, but the feeling of rubbing himself against Jack was fantastic. Warm and masculine and everything he had ever dreamt of. He felt Jack swallowing frantically and started to press himself against his groin. 

For some minutes they ground against each other, content to be so close. Daniel savoured the heat, the friction and the proximity. It was breathtakingly good to know that he was allowed to let Jack see his feelings and his arousal, to know that this was only the beginning and that these kisses would be followed by more. 

Jack’s brain overloaded with every passing minute. Fortunately, it wasn’t the dangerous overload of the Ancient device, but wonderful sensations, aching longing, emotions and lust. Impatiently he pushed his hands under Daniel’s shirt because he wanted to touch naked skin. Greedily he pressed his lips to Daniel’s because he wanted to taste him. He was such a blockhead for hesitating so long! Because this wasn’t embarrassing, there was no incertitude, no second guessing – they fit perfectly together. Each second told Jack that he had finally arrived where he belonged. And when Daniel maneuvered them, so he was on top, Jack followed willingly, but he would have been just as happy with any other position Daniel might have chosen for him, too. There was only one thing he wanted and that was Daniel, no matter how. 

Daniel closed his eyes dreamily when he felt Jack’s weight on his body. Finally, he had crossed the finish line. Finally, the dreams and fantasies he had used while pleasuring himself had come true. He was very relieved that Jack was on the same page. There would be no tedious struggling for Jack’s heart, no endless debates why this was the only right solution. Jack had come to the same conclusions all on his own. An immense feeling of rightness flooded all his senses, submerging him, threatening to tear him apart. He wanted … he wanted … 

“Oh god, Jack. I … I … I’ll give you whatever you want,” Daniel whispered hoarsely between two kisses. “Everything – but touch me ….at last.” And to spare Jack the question to ask ‘where?’, Daniel pulled in his stomach and pushed Jack’s hand in his jeans, under his boxershorts, so that Jack’s fingers landed directly on Daniel’s dick. When the cold fingers stroked him there, he hissed with delicious shock. 

Jack made a deep, needy sound in his throat, one he would have found embarrassing under normal circumstances, but right now he didn’t mind. Daniel’s words flooded his brain with explicit images, and the feel of Daniel’s hard and hot dick under his fingers intensified them, gave them contours and made Jack battle for his composure. No! He couldn’t come in his pants before Daniel had even touched him. Impossible! As if Daniel had sensed his dilemma, Jack felt him fumble for his fly, pull down the zipper and the next second Daniel’s hand was holding his dick. Wow. Pleasant frissons ran through Jack’s body. The knowledge that these were really Daniel’s fingers – strong and gentle, intimate and forbidden, new and good – was overwhelming. 

Jack felt the pressure mounting inexorably in his body. No, no, no, no! “Oh, crap!” he shouted when he felt the characteristic tingling in his balls. This was much too fast. But his body had taken over and he pushed into Daniel’s fist, panted into Daniel’s kisses, and within the next minute he came over Daniel’s hand. Strong, hot waves that darkened his vision. 

The feeling of Jack’s sticky semen running over his hand and pooling on his stomach was too much for Daniel’s oversensitive senses. And when Jack reflectively pressed his dick harder while he tumbled into his climax, Daniel let go of his last restraints. He let himself fall into the abyss, delighted how passionate Jack felt for him. There wasn’t a platonic friendship between soul-mates waiting for him but erotic discoveries, body contact, love. With a contented sigh he savoured the aftermath and the little tremors that rippled through Jack’s and his body. 

“Mhmm”, he mumbled satisfied after a while when he felt like speaking again and shifted even closer to Jack. 

Jack ginned. “We didn’t even make it to the bed.” A hint of astonishment and admiration was in his voice. 

“I think, here on the sofa, with the lights from the Christmas tree, was perfect,” Daniel whispered between kisses to Jack’s collarbone. 

Jack caressed Daniel’s hair, glad that he was now allowed to do so. “Do you know what I hope for the next parcels in the advent calendar?” Jack asked teasingly. 

“What?” Daniel inquired languorously and pulled his head a few inches to the side to have a better look at Jack’s face. 

“That there are more Daniels in the next parcels,” Jack chuckled. 

“Oh, from now on there’s a Daniel for you every day. You know, small gifts keep a friendship alive.” Daniel laughed wholeheartedly and swallowed Jack’s answer with a kiss. 

 

\---------THE END------

 

©Antares, December 2010


End file.
